LOOK: Marian Rivera And Zia Dantes Learn Pottery Together!

Marian Rivera posted photos on Instagram of her recent bonding experience with her daughter 6-year-old Zia. 

The 37-year-old actress and mom of two said in the caption, “Trying out something new and learning together ?? Happy to experience this with you my Ate Z!” 

Marian and Zia can be seen making pottery pieces in the Wabi Sabi Studio, located in San Juan. 

She added, “E yung mas magaling pa siya sa akin!? Sana all!” 

Zia, who never fails to melt our hearts with her cuteness, showed the finished products, which are bowls and mugs that they can take home. 

“Pottery is one of the most creative activities you can let your kids experience, and learning something new together creates a very special bond. Children are born naturally creative and playful so its great for them to express this through clay,” said Pau Javier, founder of Wabi Sabi, to Smart Parenting.

 

 

For parents and kids, Pau recommends taking the Pottery Workshop Crash Course or the Virtual Pottery Class. You can visit their website for more details. 

Importance of bonding between parents and child

Like Marian said, she is happy to share a new learning experience with her daughter Zia, who is currently in preschool age. The bond that they share traces back to when she was still breastfeeding Zia.

Karen Stephens, director of Illinois State University Child Care Center, said that attachment and bonding should be reinforced throughout the early childhood years.

"Preschoolers who enjoy secure attachments and responsive child-rearing maximize benefits first seeded in infancy. These include an optimistic attitude toward life and greater resilience to stress or trauma," Stephens said.

Tips to nourish bonds with preschoolers

1. Create family routines to maximize your time spent together.

Career and daily tasks might get in the way of bonding activities, but Stephens assured that for young children, what matters is you make time for it. "It’s not a matter of quality of time versus quantity of time you spend together — they need lots of both. Explore and enjoy the world together in simple ways," Stephens explained.

A 2007 study from the University of California, Los Angeles also found that children valued “regular moments more than the elaborate, scheduled, ‘fun’ occasions.” 

Set a time within the day to take a walk in the park, schedule a TV show or movie night, or simply eat together. 

2. Be a good model.

Stephens emphasized, "Preschoolers feel closer to parents they believe in." 

If you want your child to be respectful to other people, they should first see it in you and how you treat others. Avoid saying white lies that can only cause confusion in them too.

Bonding activities don't always have to be with moms only. Dads should spend time bonding with their children too.

3. Include your child in doing house work.

You don't have to wait for your child to grow old enough to help in doing chores. Start by letting them do what they can, like sorting clothes of the same color before laundry, or wiping tables or floors. "They enjoy a great sense of belonging when they are taught how to make a positive contribution," Stephen adds.

Bonding experiences don't always have to be expensive. What's important is that you make time for it, and that you are present throughout the whole experience.

Read here other bonding activities you can try with your preschooler.